The present invention relates to flat multiconductor cable, and particularly to an apparatus for extruding such cable.
Filamentous elements such as electrical conductors are commonly enclosed in plastic material such as PVC, which provides electrical insulation and serves to maintain the spacing of the elements. Such ribbon cable, as it is known, is usually manufactured by drawing the elements through a die where an uncured polymeric composition is forced around the elements in a closed cavity in the die. Curing is subsequently accomplished by cooling, preferably hastened by passing through a water bath. One of the problems in the prior art method is the inherent difficulty in maintaining the spacing of the elements during the extrusion and cooling stages, where movement of the plastic and shrinkages can cause the elements to wander toward each other, which can lead to undesirable noise or short circuiting. Another difficulty with the prior art lies in aligning the elements in the die both initially and in the event of breakage.